Also, if you went this year and want to DOUBLE YOUR GROUP, you can get $10 off our Year in Advance price and get bowl tickets for $25 and floor tickets for $35.

For BOTH OF THESE OFFERS, your tickets must be paid in full by Dec 4, which is 2 weeks from today.

If you have any questions, feel free to call or e-mail me.

Rebecca

Rebecca

Online and phone registration both close today at 1pm.  After that, you will still be able to get tickets for the Chicago ATF, but you will have to go to the door.  If you are planning on attending but don't have tickets, please do not wait to register.  We only have about 300 seats left to sell.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 903-324-8225.  

Rebecca

Check out the band interviews and frank discussions about issues at the heart of teen culture

This Saturday, live from Chicago, 8 to 9pm CT, ATF will be airing live interviews with artists 

In addition there will be a frank Q & A session with our speakers

Joel Johnson and Kemtal Glasgow

This week's topic: Divorce

Don't be shy we want to hear your questions for the bands and especially If you are dealing with this weeks topic. If you have personal questions or if you have friends who are struggling let us know by texting your questions in to  #903-504-1202 they could be answered live during the broadcast

Register today to save $10 off the door price tickets.  Please keep in mind that many sections are filling up and our floor is already sold out.  Please give us a call to see which sections are still available and to hear about our special promotions for pastors, youth leaders, and parents!

ATF 09-10 Schedule

 Friday night

            6:00pm Doors open
            7:00pm Session Begins
                        Worship
Surrounded Theatrical Production
                        Message “Smitten by Love”
            10:00pm End

Saturday Morning

            7:45am Doors Open
            8:00am Connecting with God
                        Worship
                        Message “Listen to Love”
                        Message “Just One”
            12:15 Lunch 

Saturday Afternoon

            2:00pm Session Begins
                        Worship
Message “What’s Love Got to do with It?”
                        Concerts
            5:15 Dinner                       

Saturday Night

            6:30 Doors open
            7:00 Session begins
                        Worship
                        Message “Be the Encounter”
            9:30 End                       

Encounter Breakout Sessions (Held throughout the event):

            Rookie Youth Pastor
            Veteran Youth Pastor
            Parent Session
            Leadership session for High School Juniors and Seniors

I want to invite you to pray with us this weekend for the students in your youth group and in your area.  Also, pray with us for Acquire the Fire next weekend - we know that God has an amazing plan for it!

Post a comment or e-mail me to let me know you are praying with us!  Also, send me your prayer requests so that my team and I can pray for you and your group specifically!

Rebecca

Have you ever wondered what the schedule for ATF was?  Or what is happening behind the scenes?  What about how many tickets are left in your section?  Have you wished you could get updated fast during the event on what is happening?

Well, this year you can!  All you have to go is follow ATFChicago on Twitter!  My team and I will be tweeting leading up to the event, and once we get there will be keeping you updated on what is happening during the event!  So, find us on Twitter and set us up to go directly to your phone so you can get real-time updates before, during, and after the event!

Rebecca

In case you haven't heard, Da Truth will no longer be able to be in Chicago for ATF due to an unforeseen private matter that came up.  Instead, we will have Trip Lee performing.

If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 903-324-8225.  I apologize for any inconvenience this causes.

Rebecca 

It reminded me just how much fun it is to bless others.  Of course, there aren't many other ways to make kids happy than to give them candy!  :)

Today, lets look for a way to bless someone around us, whether with a kind word, an act of service, or even a candy bar!  

Rebecca

Wow - it's hard to believe time has gone so fast!  Only 2 weeks left until the event!

Right now, tickets are $57 for the bowl and $67 for the floor.  After next Friday, those prices will go up to $67 for the bowl and $77 for the floor!

(Yes, we do have some floor seats available.  We were able to open up a few more to sell, but if you want to sit on the floor please don't wait to register, since those seats will sell quickly!)

Call us or click the registration link to register.  Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Rebecca

As you think about taking your group to ATF this year, don't forget to invite the parents!  This year, just like last year, we will be having a special session just for parents!  We know that many parents are looking for godly wisdom on how to raise their children (especially teenagers!).  Therefore, we will take some time to talk about tips on how to raise up Christian teens in today's world and how to create a culture in your home that is stronger than the culture of the world.  We will be taking content out of Ron Luce's recent book titled Recreate.

This is a great way to get parents involved in your youth group and see what their students are learning.  Plus, it's a great way to find chaperones (who ever has enough of those?)!  

Also, starting today, parents can get into ATF for a SPECIAL PRICE of $35!  Call for more details!

Parents,

For those of you who are parents, we have a wonderful opportunity for you this year!  We will be having a parent session just for you, a chance for you to come alongside other parents from all over the region, to talk about the issues that are facing your children and how you, as parents, can raise up the leaders of the next generation.  This is something we started last year and will be continuing this year.  It is definitely something you will not want to miss!

We've made a special price for parents, to help make it possible for you to be able to attend.  Starting today, you can purchase a ticket for ATF for only $35!  Please remember that this price is only for parents!

Call for more details!

We would like to make it easy for Sr Pastors to attend ATF, to see the event and know what the youth in their church are experiencing.  Therefore, we will be offering each Sr Pastor 1 FREE TICKET to attend ATF.  This is an offer you will definitely not want to pass up!

Please call for details!

Tonight ATF in Hamilton will be airing LIVE on GOD TV from 6-9 CST.  If you want to see what ATF is all about and get a sneak peek at this year's event, watch our event this weekend on GOD TV!

For more information, go to http://www.god.tv/node/1085!

My prayer has been that God would touch every person who walks into ATF this year, and I know He will be faithful to do it!  That is why I am so excited that we have over 1,000 tickets sold so far!  However, I know there are SO MANY MORE students, lost and searching, that need to come to this event.

If you have a group registered already, why not buy more tickets and have your students invite their unsaved friends?  Or what if we invited those rough kids no one wants to minister to?  Grab them off the street corners and get them into this event where God can totally rock their lives forever!

If you haven't registered yet but want to, think about who else you could invite - who are the people at your church, school, neighborhood, that really, really need Jesus?  Who are the people you've been praying for, that God would touch their lives, and how can you get them to attend?

If you weren't planning on coming to ATF, I challenge you to re-think.  Do you know a student who needs Jesus?  Or maybe one who has wandered away from their faith?  Bring them!

I know money and logistics are tough to organize, but my team and I will do everything we can to help get you to ATF!  Is money a problem?  Give me a call!  We can work out a deal for you!  Do you need help planning the logistics to get your group there?  We want to help you with that too.  Whatever we can do, we will.

Rebecca

If your church is in Hoffman Estates, or relatively close to Life Changers International Church, please consider allowing another group to stay overnight at your church.  There are many groups that will be traveling hours to attend ATF this year, and many are looking for cheap places to stay on Friday night.  Please consider opening your church for them to stay at.  If your group is already planning on sleeping on your church floor, perhaps your church is large enough that you could fit a few more people.  There's nothing more exciting that having a sleepover the Friday night of ATF with another church that you just met.  Think of all the new friends your students could make!

If this is something you would be interested in, please leave a comment or e-mail me so that I can give your information to another church looking for a place to stay.

Thank you for your willingness to serve the other churches in your area!  God bless!

Rebecca

Today is our 4 week deadline, which means that after today the price of tickets GOES UP $10!  Now only that, but also today we have a special deal that you can SAVE AN EXTRA $5 off your tickets.

If you are planning on attending this year's Chicago event, you will definitely want to call in today to take advantage of this super-low price before it ends!

Please keep in mind that in order to get the extra $5 off your tickets, you must CALL IN - this offer IS NOT available online.  Our office hours today are 9am-6pm CST.

I look forward to speaking with you!  If you have any questions, I would love to help!  God bless!

Rebecca

You all do such a great job!  We want to help you as much as we can, which is why we've developed our Pre-event Curriculum.

We have a 4 WEEK PRE-EVENT CURRICULUM that we created for those groups attending ATF this year!  You can use it with your students in the weeks leading up to the event, or as a follow up after the event.

The curriculum is available on the DVD that comes in your Starter Kit, so if you haven't gotten one of those yet, please e-mail or call me so I can get one into your hands!  

If you don't have a Starter Kit, but still want to start using the 4 week curriculum THIS WEEK, please let me know so I can e-mail you the curriculum!

Rebecca

Don't forget that THIS FRIDAY is our 4 WEEK DEADLINE!  Wow - times flies sometimes, huh?

Be sure to register this week before prices go up.  If you are planning on attending, don't wait too long to purchase seats - sections are filling up fast!

Call me with any questions - 903-324-8225.  

Rebecca

Our desire here at the ATF office is to provide you with as much vital information as possible about ATF to make it simple for your group to attend our event.  Therefore, we are constantly adding and updating the information we have on our website.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out the Travel Information tab on the left side of the page - in there is parking information, restaurants near the event, hotel discounts, and even restaurant discounts for ATF attendees!

On the main Chicago ATF page, there is deadline information, a picture of the venue, and live updates from the ATF Twitter!  Also, there is a highlight video clip from last year's Chicago ATF.

There is so much information on our website - be sure to check it all out!

Rebecca

I am excited to announce that we are running a special deal for the Chicago ATF!  For all of you who wanted to register before, but weren't able to, you will definitely want to take advantage of this!

From now until Oct. 21, when you register your group and pay in full, you will be eligible to receive $5 off the current ticket price.  That means that if you register by Oct. 16, which is our next pricing deadline, instead of paying $47 for tickets, you will only have to pay $42!  If you register between Oct. 17 and 21, you will only have to pay $52 instead of $57!

For more information, or to take advantage of this great offer, please call me at 903-324-8225, or call my team at 1-800-329-3473!  We look forward to talking to you soon!

Rebecca

Each of those seats represents a life that will be impacted at the event and will have the opportunity to meet God in a whole new way!

If you are planning on attending the Chicago ATF this year but have not purchased tickets yet, please do so as soon as possible.  Seats are going quickly!

Rebecca

Today tickets for the bowl are $47, and tickets for the floor are $57.  After today, both those prices will go up $5.

Register online or call us today at 1-800-329-3473 to register to take advantage of these low prices!  Don't forget also our free Sr Pastor tickets and Buy-Now-Pay-Later program.  Call for more details.

Rebecca

K-LOVE, a Christian radio station, in the Chicagoland area is announcing ATF coming up in November!  Be sure to tune in to hear about our upcoming event!

Don't forget that we extended our first registration deadline to THIS FRIDAY!  This is your chance to get the cheapest tickets that we are selling this season!  You definitely don't want to miss out!

Also, we have a special BUY-NOW-PAY-LATER program, which allows you to reserve your seats by only putting down 10% of your order.  the rest of the money is not due until 4 weeks before the event.  This is great for groups that are still trying to fundraise but want to make sure they get good seats. 

We are also now offering our STARTER KITS for FREE!  These kits have DVDs, brochures, posters, and everything else you need to promote ATF to your students, their parents, and the rest of the adults at your church.  If you haven't gotten one already, call in to request one right away!

For more information or to register, please give me a call at 903-324-8225.

Rebecca

After two weeks, I am back in the office, this time as Rebecca Erickson!  As some of you may know, I got married on Sept 12 in Marshall, MO, my husband's home town.  After we were married we went to Jamaica for four days for a much-needed vacation!  It was so wonderful - the weather was beautiful, and we were able to just relax.  Then, last weekend we flew to my home town of Olean, NY, to have a second reception for all my friends and family that were not able to make it to Missouri.  Late Monday night we flew back to TX to our new house.  Now, we are faced with a house full of boxes as we finish opening all our gifts and find places to store them!

As much as we didn't want to come back, it's good to be here and not be living out of a suitcase anymore!

God bless!

Rebecca

Our team will be out of the office Thursday and Friday, as will I. But we will have a few people in the office so if you need anything please call 1-800-329-3473. If you still can't reach anyone, you may leave me a message at 903-324-7538 (this will insure that you get called back asap on Monday).

I would love to hear about how your ministries are doing now that the fall is underway. What have you been focusing on in your ministry?  What are some of the challenges you are facing?

I can't wait to hear from you. God bless.

Casey

Rebecca Erickson's Assistant

As you may have seen, Rebecca is getting married this weekend, and she left me-Casey her right hand assistant- in charge :)

We here at Acquire the Fire have been working diligently to try and get you the resources you need to be successful. We now have a total of 9 callers-all are very excited about the upcoming event in Chicago.

I wanted to remind you that we are still offering our Buy Now Pay Later until Spetember 18th. The Buy Now Pay Later allows you to purchase at least 10 tickets at our 8-week price ($42 bowl/$52 floor-expires Sept 18) and only pay 10% of your total order. The remaining balance will be due October 16th. With the Buy Now Pay Later you are able to add on tickets to your order until the deadline (at the 8 week price). This the only form of group rates we have for groups of under 50. If you would like to take advantage of this great deal please call me (Casey-Rebecca's Assistant) at 903-329-7538 or you can call the general line at 1-800-324-3473.

I would really like to know what you all need from us here at Acquire the Fire (more information, starter kits, DVDs, etc).

I would like to conduct a little survey :) How long have you been involved with youth ministry? (leave the answer in a comment)

I will compile the results next week and post them :)

~God bless~

Casey

I will be out of the office, starting tomorrow morning and will be gone for 2 weeks.  I am going to Missouri and will be getting married there this Saturday! :-)  I will not be back in the office until September 22, when I return from my honeymoon and second reception in my hometown in NY.

While I am gone, my assistant Casey and my team captain Lori will be able to help you with anything you need.  You can call Casey at 903-324-7538 or Lori at 1-800-329-3473, ext. 7179.

Don't forget that our first pricing deadline is coming up on the 18th!  For help with registering, talk to Casey or Lori.

God bless you all, and I will talk to you when I get back!  Please keep me and my fiancé in your prayers as we finish up last-minute details and get ready to start a whole new season in our lives.  Also pray that the Lord would use our wedding ceremony to touch the hearts of our unsaved relatives!

Rebecca

My team and I will not be in the office on Monday, but we will be returning Tuesday.  If you have any questions in the meantime or need any assistance, please feel free to e-mail me, and I will respond as soon as I can.

Also, don't forget that our first pricing deadline is coming soon, on Sept. 18!  If you want to register and take advantage of the cheapest prices of the season, don't delay!  Prices will be going up after the 18th.

God bless!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Rebecca

Don't forget that our first deadline for tickets for the Chicago ATF is coming up in a few short weeks!  After Sept. 18, the prices for tickets will go up $5.  If you are planning on attending, be sure to register before prices go up so that you can get the best deal!

Rebecca

We've all heard this parable, but as we discussed it, we couldn't help but think of the way this parable also applies to youth ministry.  Isn't that each youth leader's job, to search for "the one" in their area?

There are so many students, in all of our areas, lost and searching.  I was reminded once again how important it is to search for each "one," and if we need to, to leave the ones we have for a time to find that "one."

This year, I want to challenge each youth leader to not only bring his or her youth group to ATF, but also to invite those lost "ones" - the kids who are lost, the tough ones who don't blend in, the ones who are about to give up.  Every town and every youth group has those "ones," and those are the ones that need to be reached, perhaps for the first time!

What exactly IS a Starter Kit?  Well, it's a conglomeration of materials designed to equip you to get a group together to attend ATF.  We've taken the best resources from the past few years, updated them, and put them together in 1 kit!  

It includes the following:

-       3 Brochures: To let you and the other leaders in your church know about the event.  Also, feel free to pass these on to other churches you know!
-       5 Posters: To hang in the youth room and to put on the church bulletin board. Give them to the students to put up in their school, as well.
-       24 Teen Invite Cards: To give to your students so they can invite their friends.  Have them help spread the word to save you work!
-       1 Pastor Letter: To help clarify ATF to your senior pastor, also includes an offer for the senior pastor to attend ATF for free!
-       1 Parent Poster: Hang it up iin the church as a visual reminder that you want all the parents to attend as well!
-       1 Planning Guide: contains all the details of the event and lays out a schedule that will help you stay organized as you plan.
-       1 DVD: Contains videos for your group leaders, church congregation, and students to get them excited about the event.  Also contains a 4 week pre-event curriculum that you can use to get your students ready for the event.
-       1 Free Pass to get into an ATF Youth Ministry Conference, or $25 off your group’s registration for ATF (Call for details.)

In order to receive this SUPER AMAZING Starter Kit, you will need to put down at $25 deposit.  This $25 will be paying for the materials inside of the kit, but will also get you a $25 discount on your total registration or 1 free ticket to an ATF Youth Ministry Conference (normally costing $39).

So, as you can see, you will be getting your money back, plus some!

Like I said, I am so excited about these kits - they will be a huge help to everyone planning on attending ATF this year!

Please call or e-mail me for more details and to find an ATF Youth Ministry Conference in your area.

I hope to hear from you soon!

Rebecca

Many of you have been asking about promotional materials for this year's event.  For a while we had been waiting for our publishing house to print off all of our DVDs, brochures, and posters, but we finally have them available to be sent out!

If you are interested in attending ATF or would like to see more information about the event, please leave a comment or e-mail me with your information, and I will make sure that we send something in the mail to you!

Also, be sure to ask about our special deals that we have available right now.  You don't want to miss these!

Rebecca

"The history of heaven is written on how you finish, not how you start."
- David Hasz

That reminded me about how many times we have the faith to start something, but somewhere along the way, when things get hard, we give up and quit.  That is not faith.

Faith is not ...
  ~ pessimistic
  ~ realistic
  ~ pragmatic

Faith takes a different response to life's trials and believes the Bible over what we see and experience.  It doesn't deny the truth, but instead offers an alternate response, a faith response.

Hebrew 12:1 says:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of FAITH, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress ..."

Only with God's power can we live a life of faith.  Make sure that you live your life in such a way that God feels welcome in it, in your heart, your home, your workplace, etc.

If we are going to be effective, we must be people full of faith.  For, only with faith will we ever move the mountains that are in front of us.

A quick update: I have some new information for you regarding the Chicago event.  We have confirmed that EVERYDAY SUNDAY will be playing Friday night, and DA TRUTH and JR will both be performing Saturday afternoon!  

We are very excited to have them performing in Chicago.  These are definitely concerts that you will not want to miss!

Rebecca

Read more

Where should I start?  Let's see ...

I was born in Florida but moved to Western New York State when I was three years old.  That's where I grew up.  In fact, I spend my whole life, from age three to eighteen, living in the same house in Olean, NY.  My parents were both strong Christians and led me to the Lord when I was four.  I guess you could say I practically grew up in the church, literally. 

My family was always involved in our church.  My mom became our youth leader when I was in middle school and served faithfully as a part time youth leader up until this year.  While I was in high school I was able to help her and be her "right hand man."  I learned a lot about working with teenagers and developed a heart for my peers.  Around that time, my dad felt the call to ministry and quit his job to become a full-time pastor at the church we attended. 

After I graduated from high school, I came to Teen Mania's Honor Academy in East Texas for a one year internship.  That year I grew closer to God than I had ever been before!  I learned about leadership and about my Christian faith.  While I was an intern I had the opportunity to serve as a representative in the ATF call center.  I called youth leaders and told them about the event we were holding in Auburn Hills, MI. 

Surprisingly, God called me to stay at the Honor Academy for another year, as a Graduate Intern.  I kept growing in my faith while I worked in ATF and started managing more events.  The year after, I become a full-time staff member and have been working as a Regional Manager ever since.  In fact, I had the great opportunity to manage the Chicago event last year and get to know many of you!

I started taking online courses through Liberty University and am still working toward a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with an emphasis on Christian counseling.  My heart is really to help as many people as I can!  I've also been on a few missions’ trips as well, to Amsterdam and Jamaica, where the Lord broke my heart for the people there.  If I could go anywhere in the world, it would be back to Amsterdam to keep spreading the Lord's love to the people there!

This past April I got engaged to the most amazing man I've ever met (I may be a bit biased!), who also works for Teen Mania.  Now, we are busy planning a wedding for this September, which, we are learning, is a lot of fun but a lot of work!  After we are married, we are planning to continue working with Teen Mania and serving the Lord here.

Well, that is a little about me.  If you want to know more, feel free to look me up on Facebook or follow me on twitter (RebeccaMLong)!

Most of all, though, I am very excited to be working with you all again!  If there is anything I can do to help you, please let me know.  I am here to serve!

God bless you all!

Rebecca

This is my fiance and I!  :)

For youth leaders:
- How long have you been involved in youth ministry?
- How did you first get involved in youth ministry?
- Are you full or part time?
- What are your biggest struggles as youth leaders?
- What are your goals for youth ministry?
- How can Acquire the Fire and Teen Mania best meet your needs?

For parents:
- What are your goals and dreams for your children?
- What are the biggest struggles and temptations that your children face?
- How can Acquire the Fire and Teen Mania best serve you and your children?

For students:
- What are your favorite parts of Acquire the Fire?
- What is one thing you wish we did at Acquire the Fire?
- How can we help you reach your friends for the Lord?

If there is anything else you want to share, let me know!  You can leave a comment or e-mail me through the "Contact Team Chicago" tab!  God bless you all!  I look forward to getting to know you better!

Rebecca

Hello, friends!  I pray that you are having a fantastic (and cool) summer! 

I have wonderful news - if you haven't heard yet, we ARE having Acquire the Fire in Chicago again this year!  I want to clear up any confusion that may exist for those of you who attended last year's event or enquired during the spring.  We were not planning on coming back to Chicago in 2009, but God opened the doors to allow us to be able to hold an event there this fall!

Also, I have the privilege of again acting as your Regional Manager this year.  I am very excited to be able to work alongside all of you again this year as we continue to reach young people for the Lord!

If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know.  You can call me directly at 903-324-8225.  I hope to hear from you soon.  God bless!

Rebecca

Friends,

Well, it’s been a while.  How are you all doing?  I pray that you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!  I’ve gotten a few questions about ATF in Chicago next year recently and appologize that I haven’t had any concrete information to give out.  As of right now, we do not have an event in Chicago planned for next fall.  There is a possibility that we may be coming back, though.  As soon as I know anything else I will pass it on to you!  In the meantime, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call or e-mail!  God bless!